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Hydrology

MDA implemented a GIS program for the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection to model subwatershed surface runoff for current and future conditions in the Rock Creek Watershed.

MDA implemented a GIS program for the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection to model subwatershed surface runoff for current and future conditions in the Rock Creek (Montgomery County, Maryland) Watershed. MDA integrated ArcInfo spatial data with Watershed Modeling System (WMS) software to implement HEC-1 and HEC-2 hydrological models.

Rock Creek Watershed

MDA conducted a study that focuses on the improvement of critical areas reservoir efficiency and identification of reservoirs for the eight HIDROFALCON-managed reservoirs located in the state of Falcon, Venezuela. The study's major objectives:

  • Analyze factors affecting water supply and reservoir yield, such as changes in land use and land cover, small-scale diversions of watershed runoff, geology, and precipitation patterns.
  • Identify watershed critical areas in terms of their contribution to changes in reservoir yield within each watershed.
  • Recommend watershed management measure for reducing the negative impact of these critical areas on reservoir yield.
  • Generate and compile watershed cartographic and tabular information and hard copy and digital format for the creation of an environmental data base for the study areas.

State of the art technology was employed as a tool for the analyses. Satellite digital image processing of mid-1980s Landsat MSS and mid-1990's TM data was applied to obtain landcover classifications for input into the models. Precipitation, terrain and soils information were also integrated into the analysis in a GIS for spatial modeling. Detailed maps (1:50,000 and 1:100,000 scale) were produced for recent land cover drainage vegetation indicies identifying the critical areas within each watershed, and extensive statistics generated to characterize each watershed study area. Results of the soil loss and runoff models were interpreted and proximity analyses were conducted in describing critical areas. Change analysis indicated predominant increasing trends in potential soil loss, while runoff estimates were not siginificantly different.
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